Folding umbrella.



E. A. WOLF.

FOLDING UMBRELLA. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. 1910. 1,202,946. Patented oct. 31,1916.

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E. A. WOLF.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.8. 1910.

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Patented Oct. 31, 1.916.

E. A. WOLF.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION msu JAN.8, 1910.

Patented oef. 31,191@L 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- E. A. WOLF.

FOLDING UMBRELLA. APPLICATIN mi JAN. s. 1910.

Patented 001;. 31,1916.

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UNITED SIYIE FAI'FIFT FFIQF.

EDWIN ANDRUS WOLF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

Application filed January 8, 1910.

T all f1.0 wm it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN ANDnUs VOLF, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Umbrellas, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in foldable umbrellas characterized by a foldable staff and foldable rib sections. The object of my invention consists in providing` a simple, efficient, and inexpensive umbrella having an improved spring-opened rib joint and a braced joint for reinforcing said rib joint.

With the above and other objects inA view my invention consists in the combination, arrangement, and details of construction disclosed in the specification and drawings and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the external features of the main operating parts, Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of a rib joint, F ig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the tip retainer, Fig, il; is a plan View of said tip-retainer, Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a staff member, Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a staff member, Fig. 7 is a side elevation of another staff member, Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the staff member carrying a fixed notch, Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a notch runner sta member, Fig. 1() is a side elevation of a locking staff member, Fig. l1 is a` detail elevation of a runner sleeve, Fig. 12 is a` fragmental sectional view showing the telescoping arrangement of the stati' members, Fig. 13 is a detail longitudinal sectional view showing the telescoping arrangement of another portion of the staff members, Fig. 14 .is a side elevation showing a completed umbrella opened, Fig. 15 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 14, showing only a portion of the ribs and covering, and Fig. 16 is another detail longitudinal sectional view of a rib joint.A

Referring to the drawings a type of foldable staff is shown adapted to cooperate with the foldable rib sections forming part of my invention. It will be understood that the foldable staff may be of any approved construction, consisting of suitable telescopic Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Serial No.V 537,008.

sections one of which sections will be provided with a tip retainer 22, another section with a notch 9 being held in extended relation relatively to said other section, and still another section extensible relatively to the section carrying notch 9 and also having a iixed notch 18. Such a construction is shown in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive. The telescopic staff sections are designated 5, 8, 7 and 16. Section 1G is arranged to occupy an outermost position and carries a fixed notch 18 to which the upper rib sections 25 are hinged. The rib stretchers 24 are hinged upon notch 9 fixed on staff section 7. Sections 8 and 7 move together, section 7 telescoping insection. S. Staff section 5 telescopes with a centrally-disposed staff l xed in the tubular staff handle 21. All the staff sections 5, 7, 8 and 16 are arranged to be incased inthe tubular handle 2l when they are 'in folded position. Handle Q1 carries the tip retainer 22 for the reception of the balls 26 mounted on the lower rib sections i3 of said umbrella. Staff 1 is formed with a slotG in which moves a pin e fixed on section 5, as the latter is extended, it beingl locked in extended position, shown in Fig. 7 by spring member 3 snapping into the recess da formed on staif section 5 in the usual manner. lSection 5 fits in section 7, and section 7 carries a pin 7 moving in slot 5 when it is extended. Section 7 is locked in extended position over section 5 by means of spring member carried at its bottom and operating in a slot. This spring member 10 is deflected so as notto be confined normally in its slot, and it is formed with an angular offset 9-. Section 8 slides frictionally over section 7, and it has a limited movement, 'I he user holds section 7 when it is extended and then draws section 8 along it until the lower portion 3 of section 8 binds with or rides over the deflected spring mem ber 10, thereby straightening the latter and causing offset 9a to project in the path of movement of the top part of staff section 5; owing to this arrangement both sections 7 and S, and also section 16 which is supported by sections 7 and 8, are supported upon section 5, offset 9a resting upon said section 5, when all the sections are extended as shown in Fig. 15. Section 16 is supported upon sections 7 and 8 by friction, by means of sleeve 14 fixed by a block 15 upon section 16, at its bottom. This block slides frictionally in slots 12 and 11 of sections 7 andy S respectively and sleeve 14C surrounds section 8, as shown best in Fig. 13. A latch member' 19 is mounted upon stai section 16, and when said section is in lowered position this latch member will rest upon the notch 9, thereby restraining all further movement of said section 16 downward. When the staff sections are incased in handle 21 the various rib sections will be in suspended position. Each lower rib section 23 is formed with a ball 26 to engage with the tip retainer 22, and is provided with a joint member 27, formed U-shaped in cross-section, which is suitably fixed thereon. The member 27 is pivoted to a joint member 28, also U-shaped in cross-section formed on the stretcher 24, and the member 29 on the upper rib section 25 being` also U-shaped in cross-section is pivo-ted to the joint member 28. A spring 33 is located within the members 27 and 28 for the purpose of holding the ribs normally open. The joint member 29 is connected to the joint member 28 intermediate of its ends so that the outer end of said joint member 29 will engage with the outer end of the joint member 27, when open, thereby forming a good brace joint for the rib. Fig. 1 shows the relative position of the staff sections and rib sections when in unfolded position and incased in the tubular handle 2l, said rib sections being then suspended and the entire umbrella being in a compact form.

In order to unfold the parts of the umbrella the operation will be as follows The user will force the stai section 7 upwardly from the position it occupies in Fig. 15 by grasping hold of the notch 9. This is done in order to allow the staff sections to be collapsed so that it will be possible, after said sections have been collapsed, to cause the balls 26 carried by the lower rib sections 23 to enter the slots provided for their reception in the tip retainer 22. When this shall have been done, the telescoping sta sections will then be pushed downwardly as far as may be. This is effected by sliding section 16 down on sections 7 and 8, the block 15 frictionally engaging the latter, and then sliding section 8 over section 7 so as to ride clear of the spring member 10, thereby causing oiicset 9a to be retracted from projecting 'position and enabling section 5 to slide down sta l, together with sections 16, 7 and 8. As the sections are being telescoped it will be seen that the lower rib sections 27 will be suitably folded over the stretchers 24:, against the tension or springs 33. To raise the umbrella to open position it will be necessary to reverse the steps of the operation given above so as to enable the balls 26 to be disengaged from the tip retainer 22, and when this shall have been effected said sections 23 will spring into'an alining and extended position relatively to stretchers 24. The staff sections will then be extended as hereinbeiore mentioned.

Numerous modiiications may be resorte to in practice without departing in principle from the details of construction herein described.

Having described my invention I claim l. In combination with an umbrella having a staff formed of a plurality of telescopic members, a notch member slidable on the upper of said members, inner rib sections hingedly connected to said notch, brace members to which the outer ends of said rib sections are pivoted, and outer rib sections pivotally connected to said brace members.

2. In combination with an umbrella having astaiif formed of a plurality of telescopic members, a notch member slidable on the upper of said members, inner rib sections hingedly connected to said notch, brace members to which the outer ends of said rib sections are pivoted, and outer rib sections pivotally connected to said brace members, and springs mounted upon the outer ends of said brace members and having connection with said upper rib sections whereby said outer sections are automatically thrown into operative relation to said inner rib sections.

3. In combination with an umbrella having a staE formed of a plurality of telescopic members, a notch member slidable on the upper of said members, inner rib sections hingedly connected to said notch, brace members to which the outer ends of said rib sections are pivoted, and outer rib sections pivotally connected to brace members, and springs mounted upon the outer ends of said brace members and having connection with said upper rib sections whereby said outer sections are automatically thrown into operative relation to said inner rib sections, means for operating said outer rib sections against the action of said springs.

4L. In combination with an umbrella having a staff formed of a plurality of telescopic members, a notch member slidable on the upper of said members, inner rib sections hingedly connected to said notch, brace members to which the outer ends of said rib sections are pivoted, and outer rib sections pivotally connected to said brace members, and springs mounted upon the outer ends of said brace members and having connection with said upper rib sections whereby said outer sections are automatically thrown into operative relation to said inner rib sections, means for operati-ng` said outer rib sections against the action of said springs, said means consisting of a tip retainer.

5. In combination with an umbrella havin na staiip formed of a plurality of telescopic members, a notch member slidable on the upper of said members, inner rib sections hingedly connected to said notch, brace menibers to which the outer ends ol said rib sections are pivoted, and outer rib sections pivotally connected to said brace members, and springs mounted upon the outer ends of said brace members and having` connection with said upper rib sections whereby said outer sections are automatically thrown into ope 'i tive relation to said inner rib sections, means for operating said outer rib sections against the action of said springs, said means consisting of a tip retainer, saigl tip retainer being mounted upon the lower of said telescopic sections.

6. In combination with an umbrella havin a staff formed of a plurality of telescopic members, a notch member slidable on the upper of said members, inner rib sections hingedly connected to said notch, brace members to which the outer ends of said rib sections are pivoted, and outer rib sections pivotally connected to said brace members, and springs mounted upon the outer ends of said brace members and having connection with said upper rib, sections whereby said outer sections are automatically thrown into operative relation to said inner rib sections, means for operating said outer rib sections against the action of said springs, said means consisting of a tip retainer, said tip retainer beingmounted upon the lower of said telescopic sections, means on said rib sections whereby they are held in rigid relation when not in operative position.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN ANDRUS W'OLF.

Vitnesses :d

ALBERT P. MAGEK, kJ. HAROLD PAGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

